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Governor Abbott initially released 17 agenda items for the 2nd Called 87th Special Session. On August 25, he added one more item to the call and there has yet to be a hearing posted on this subject. The last day for either chamber to take any action is September 5, 2021. Below is a spotlight of legislation on the move that falls under the Governor’s call.

 

 

BAIL REFORM:

SB 6 (Huffman) Relating to rules for setting the amount of bail, to the release of certain defendants on a monetary bond or personal bond, to related duties of certain officers taking bail bonds and of a magistrate in a criminal case, and to the reporting of information pertaining to bail bonds.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (27-2)
  • Passed the House August 30th (85-40)
  • Sent to the Governor September 1st
  • Governor’s statement on SB 6’s passage can be found here.

 

SJR 3 (Huffman) Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring a judge or magistrate to impose the least restrictive conditions of bail that may be necessary and authorizing the denial of bail under some circumstances to a person accused of a violent or sexual offense or of continuous trafficking of persons.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (27-2)
  • Failed to adopt in the House August 30th (87-35)

 

ELECTION INTEGRITY:

SB 1 (Hughes) Relating to election integrity and security, including by preventing fraud in the conduct of elections in this state; increasing criminal penalties; creating criminal offenses.

  • CCR adopted by the House August 31st (80-41)
  • CCR adopted by the Senate August 31st (18-13)
  • Sent to the Governor September 1st
  • Governor’s statement on SB 1’s passage can be found here.

 

FEDERAL RELIEF APPROPRIATIONS:

SB 11 (Nelson) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.

  • Passed out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)
  • On the Senate Calendar September 2nd

 

HB 5 (Bonnen) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.

  • House Calendars rule adopted August 26th (109-0)
  • Passed to third reading in the House September 1st

 

EDUCATION:

SB 15 (Taylor) Relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a public school, the satisfaction of teacher certification requirements through an internship teaching certain virtual courses, and the allotment for certain special-purpose school districts under the Foundation School Program.

  • Passed the Senate August 11th (27-2)
  • Passed the House August 30th (119-7)
  • Sent to the Governor September 1st

 

BORDER SECURITY:

HB 9 (Bonnen | et al.) Relating to making supplemental appropriations relating to border security and giving direction regarding those appropriations.

  • Passed the House August 30th (85-36)
  • Passed the Senate September 1st (23-8)

 

SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP:

SB 5 (Hughes) Relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages

  • Passed the Senate August 11th (17-12)
  • Referred to House Constitutional Rights & Remedies Committee August 19th

 

HB 20 (Cain | et al.) Relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages.

  • Passed the House August 30th (77-49)
  • Passed as amended in the Senate August 31st (17-14)
  • Awaiting House to concur on Senate amendments

 

ARTICLE X FUNDING:

SB 11 (Nelson) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.

  • Passed out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)
  • On the Senate Intent Calendar September 2nd

 

HB 5 (Bonnen) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.

  • House Calendars rule adopted August 26th (109-0)
  • Passed to third reading in the House September 1st

 

FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION:

SB 9 (Huffman | West) Relating to requiring public schools to provide instruction and materials and adopt policies relating to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (29-0)
  • Passed out of House Public Education August 31st (12-0)
  • Placed on the House General State Calendar

 

YOUTH SPORTS:

SB 2 (Perry) Relating to requiring public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on biological sex.

  • Engrossed in Senate August 11th (19-10)
  • Left pending in House Public Education August 31st

 

ABORTION-INDUCING DRUGS:

SB 4 (Lucio) Relating to abortion complication reporting and the regulation of drug-induced abortion procedures, providers, and facilities; creating a criminal offense.

  • Passed the Senate August 11th (19-10)
  • Passed the House August 31st (82-41)
  • Sent to the Governor September 1st

 

THIRTEENTH CHECK:

SB 7 (Huffman) Relating to a one-time supplemental payment of benefits under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

  • Engrossed in Senate August 9th (29-0)
  • Passed the House August 30th (125-0)
  • Sent to the Governor September 1st

 

CRITICAL RACE THEORY:

SB 3 (Hughes) Relating to civics training programs for certain public school social studies teachers and principals, parental access to certain learning management systems, and certain curriculum in public schools, including certain instructional requirements and prohibitions.

  • Passed the Senate August 11th
  • Voted out of House Public Education August 31st (7-5)
  • Placed on the House General State Calendar September 2nd

 

APPROPRIATIONS:

SB 10 (Nelson) Relating to making appropriations for the legislature and legislative agencies.

  • Voted out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)

 

HB 1 (Bonnen) Relating to making appropriations for the legislature and legislative agencies.

  • House Appropriations report sent to Calendars August 25th

 

SB 8 (Bettencourt) Relating to the authority of a person who acquires a residence homestead to receive an ad valorem tax exemption for the homestead in the year in which the property is acquired and to the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in revenue.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (29-0)
  • Passed the House August 27th (80-41)
  • Sent to the Governor August 30th

 

SB 12 (Bettencourt | Kolkhorst) Relating to the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed by a school district on the residence homestead of an individual who is elderly or disabled to reflect any reduction from the preceding tax year in the district’s maximum compressed rate and to the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in local revenue.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (29-0)
  • Passed the House as amended on August 27th (121-0)
  • Senate concurs on House amendments (31-0)
  • Sent to the Governor on August 31st

 

SJR 2 (Bettencourt | Kolkhorst) Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.

  • Passed the Senate August 10th (29-0)
  • Adopted in the House August 26th (116-0)

 

PRIMARY ELECTIONS:

SB 13 (Huffman) Relating to dates of certain elections to be held in 2022.

  • Passed the Senate August 9th (28-1)
  • Passed the House as amended August 27th (96-25)
  • Senate concurred on House amendments August 30th (30-1)
  • Sent to the Governor August 31st

 

RADIOACTIVE WASTE:

HB 7 (Landgraf) Relating to the transportation, storage, or disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

  • Passed the House August 30th (94-32)
  • Passed the Senate as amended September 1st (31-0)
  • Awaiting the House to concur on Senate amendments

 

HB 200 (Landgraf) Relating to the prohibition on the transportation, storage, and disposal of high-level radioactive waste in certain areas.

  • Voted out of Environmental Regulation August 30th
  • Placed on the House General State Calendar September 2nd

 

EMPLOYMENT:

SB 14 (Creighton) Relating to the regulation by a municipality or county of certain employment benefits and policies.

  • Passed the Senate August 11th (18-11)
  • On the House floor on September 1st, the bill was returned to House State Affairs after a point of order was sustained on the bill stating it was not within the call of the session

 

STATE LEGISLATURE:

SJR 1 (Birdwell) Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the determination of a quorum of the senate or house of representatives.

  • Passed the Senate as amended August 11th (19-10)